Washing-machine fob washing clothes



unirsi) srArEs NPATENT onirica. i

R. W. OLIPHANT, OF NORTH GRANVILLE, NEW YORK.

WASHING-MACHINE FOR WASHING CLOTHES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 769, dated Julie 7, 1838. l

To all 'whom it may concern Beit known that I, ROBERT W. OLLPHANT, ofNorth Granville, in the county of Wash,- ington andV State of New York,have invented an Improved VVashing-Machine; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof.

I construct a suitable trough to contain the soap suds, and the clothesto be washed; and within this trough I place a pounder. or beater, bymeans of which the clothes are to be forced against one end of thetrough, by which operation they will be eifectually cleansed. Thepounder, or beater, is to be worked back and forth by hand, instead ofby such machinery as has heretofore been employed for that purpose; andin consequence of thus working it, the stroke will always be. adapted tothe quantity of clothes contained in the trough.

The accomp-anying drawing Figure l, represents the trough and itsappendages, one side of the trough being removed to exhibit the wholearrangement. The machine may be varied in size, but the dimensions whichI shall designate are such as I have found to answer the intendedpurpose in a satisfactory manner. The trough A, B, may be three feet siXinches long, and fourteen inches wide at the bottom; the sides are madeto flare out, making it three cr four inches wider at the top. Thebottom forms an inclined plane lengthwise, it being twelve inches deepat the end A, and fifteen at the end B, thus giving it an inclination ofthree inches, which may be increased if desired. This inclination of thebottom will be found to facilitate the operation of the machine veryconsiderably. A cover, or lid, C, eX- tends along a considerable portionof the trough, leaving only suiiicient opening at the upper end for theworking of the beater. This cover rests on ledges, andmay be removed atpleasure. A roller D, which turns easily upon gudgeons at each end,extends across the upper edge of the trough, at the end A. This rollersustains the two shafts i to which the beater, and the handlef by whichit is worked, are attached, or the shafts may be suspended by a cord, asshown at (J, Fig. 2) and the beater allowed to vibrate. .Y

E, Figs. l and 2, is the beater which is nearly as wide as the bottom ofthe trough,

and otherwise formed in the mannerv represented in the drawing. Underthe front edgesof this beater, I place two friction rollers, I, I, whichrest 0n th bottom ofthe trough, enabling the beater to move backward andforward with but little resistance. F, F, are two shafts, attached attheir lower ends to the beater, and at their upper to the handle G. Aboard H, ext-ends under the roller D, to prevent the splashing of thesuds from that end of the trough. In using this machine, the shafts restupon the roller D, the operator takes hold of the handle G, and worksthe beater back and forth, causing the beater to press forcibly againstthe clothes contained between it and the end K of the trough.

The whole operation is performed with butlittle labor, in consequence ofthe aid afforded by the inclination of the bottom, and the diminution offriction by the rollers.

Having thus fully described my machine, and the manner in which itoperates, I claim as my invention- The particular arrangement oftheoperating parts, as above described; that it to say, I claim thecombination of the beater, moved by hand, with the respective rollers orcord, and the inclined bottom of the trough, constructed and operatingsubstantially as above set forth. i

ROBERT W. OLIPHANT.

Witnesses:

LINTON THORN, C. H. A. ALTBERGER.

